The Secret of Mt Vernenn
by malfunit
Summary: Back in his childhood, Daniel, along with Simon, Zeke, and a few of his cousins is teleported to the base of a mountain. It's up to them to solve a mystery behind an abandoned castle, magic scattered throughout the mountain, and a deserted mine.
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Author's Note – Read _Floatzel and the Power of Thinking_ to better understand Daniel and Simon. Read _Lucario and the 10 Ordeals_ to understand Zeke and some of the elements of the story. The two stories are connected in the beginning. The story takes place back in their childhood, nine years ago.**

Daniel was enjoying the winter break from school. Christmas had gone by and Daniel had the time of his life this year. From the Christmas dinner to the presents, he couldn't have asked for a better time, although being a Buizel, he had trouble with certain things because he lacked the dexterity in his paws to do some of the things that humans do. Eating with utensils for example. Daniel caused quite a spectacle when his fork slipped on a roasted potato, landing the potato square in his cousin's face. Daniel's father was fortunate enough to take a photograph of the potato in the air and the cousin's reaction.

Last year, relatives from all across the family tree came to visit Daniel, both shocked and amazed at what had happened to Daniel when his mother spread the news. His parents explained everything that happened on that day to everyone that came. His mother said that raising a pokemon this way was a bit harder than raising a human child but she enjoyed it. The novelty of having a pokemon as a son never seemed to wear off. Daniel's father mentioned Daniel's publicity in the media, along with a couple of Daniel's friends from school, who had also been turned into pokemon. Daniel's cousins were asking about his experiences as a Buizel. He said that he could not shoot water out of his mouth like a normal Buizel. This was because the transformations left him and any other victims without their pokemon powers. Daniel's mother explained that the reason Daniel was a pokemon was due to a mysterious Ditto that roamed the forest. She explained that Daniel and his friends were all victims of the Ditto's power. The story continued until late at night, when Daniel had finished describing his experiences in great detail, from getting used to his new self, height differences, daily routines, down to the way his fur felt. Everyone was happy with Daniel and how well he had coped with the transformation.

This year, Daniel only had a few cousins visit him, but they were the ones he liked the most. Their names were Rick, Emily, and Stephanie. Rick was ten years old. He was a bit playful and sometimes hyperactive. Daniel and Rick liked to play video games, especially those that involved explosions. Daniel almost always beat Rick at a certain game because of his favorite tactic; to plant explosives and booby-traps all over the level and watch with a big grin on his face as Rick fell for each of them. Rick and Daniel quickly became the center of attention when they played videogames. Rick had been taken to the forest in the past and was quite impressed when he learned that the rumors of talking pokemon were true.

Emily was thirteen and was very protective of Daniel, always making sure he was safe if he decided to leave the house. She would lift him sometimes in her arms and carry him, as she was quite strong, despite her slim appearance. Everyone in the family thought this act was cute. Daniel took her into the forest one day, after a debate with his mother, and showed her to some wild pokemon. To Emily's surprise, the pokemon spoke English instead of their own species names. A Bulbasaur explained to her that he learned the language from his parents. He also mentioned the trainer and pokemon responsible for spreading the English language to the pokemon in the forest. Emily was amazed at this fact and wanted to stay at Daniel's house so that she could talk to the wild pokemon. Sadly, she could not stay all the time, but she enjoyed the time she spent with them. The other pokemon could not believe that Daniel was Emily's cousin when he announced the fact. Then Daniel explained how the Ditto was involved and everything became clear. Emily was like an older sister to Daniel, trying to keep him out of harm's way. Daniel enjoyed being carried along, so Emily did it when she and Daniel left the house.

Stephanie was fourteen years old. She was quiet and somewhat reserved, but she always loved Daniel. She wanted to be away from all the ruckus that her family made, but she always knew that Daniel would respect that. She also had a soft spot for small animals. Stephanie liked to draw pictures and Daniel would often model for her. Her theme of choice was a wintry and magical place. She was very talented and knew how to work with color. Daniel was amazed with the ideas she put down on paper. They reminded him of adventures he had in the past with a friend of his. Daniel and Stephanie knew they could rely on each other for sympathy if something should upset them. Daniel felt closer emotionally towards Stephanie than anyone else. Almost as if she was his guardian, a protector of sorts. Stephanie liked her privacy in her room, but she invited Daniel to her room from time to time. They were practically inseparable, until it was time to leave. Fortunately, Stephanie lived within walking distance to Daniel's house, so she could visit him whenever she wanted with permission.

Daniel took her into the forest one night and introduced her to a few of his secret friends in the forest; an Eevee, a Vulpix, a Chimchar, and a Chancey. Daniel trusted Stephanie not to tell his mother that he sneaks out of the house at night from time to time. Stephanie introduced herself to everyone and received a friendly greeting. She held Daniel close to her for half of the visit. At first, the pokemon from the forest were baffled by this relationship between Daniel and Stephanie, thinking that it was actual love. But then Stephanie described it as "unconditional love" and Daniel told his friends that Stephanie was his cousin and that she meant a protector-protected type of relationship. Everyone understood. Daniel had already told them about his transformation, but they still found it strange that a pokemon can become part of a human family tree like that. Stephanie brought a few of her best pictures with her and showed the other pokemon. They were all impressed, with one of them saying,

"That...is the most beautiful environment I've ever seen."

Daniel, Stephanie, and the other pokemon had attracted a small crowd of others from the forest. It quickly turned into a night no one would ever forget, filled with fascinating stories and experiences.

It was not until one night, where a meeting was planned in the evening, that Stephanie would experience something that Daniel was all too familiar with. She would never forget the event that would take place that night.


	2. The Secret Meeting

Chapter 1: The Secret Meeting

Daniel was getting ready for a very special meeting right next to the forest. He arranged it with his two friends from school and his three cousins who visited that day. Rick, Emily, and Stephanie were going to meet Daniel's friends for the first time. Their names were Zeke and Simon. Zeke was a Riolu and Simon was a Pikachu. Daniel explained to his three cousins that Zeke was different and that he had a hard time understanding figurative language. Simon could be a bit rash at times and had trouble controlling his impulses.

Daniel waited with the three cousins in his bedroom until 10:30 PM. When the clock on his desk reached that time, Daniel said,

"Time to go. Remember, don't make a sound; this is supposed to be secret."

Rick turned the handle on the door slowly and looked around. He gave a thumbs up, meaning that the coast was clear. Everyone crept out of the bedroom, down the stairs, through the living room, and to the back door. Rick turned the handle slowly and opened the door. Everyone was used to cold weather so the temperature was not a problem. It was snowing outside, which made everyone happy. Everyone was relieved when they found that the wind was blowing very gently, as they did not want to travel through a blizzard.

Daniel was the first to leave the house. His cousins followed him, as Daniel knew the woods better than most because he had explored them before. Everyone followed Daniel, enjoying the fresh air. For some reason, cold air seemed to be more refreshing than warm air. The snow on the ground and the lack of it in some areas made navigation easier.

"If you see that Ditto that turned me into a Buizel, stay away from it," warned Daniel. "Don't end up like me or my two friends. Once you're hit...yeah, you're gonna turn into a pokemon. Could take anywhere from an hour to twelve. We don't even have Poke-powers. I can make just about as much water come out of my mouth as you three. I guess the only time I can make an Aqua Jet is when I drink something."

"Sounds pretty scary," replied Emily. "Did it hurt? I mean turning into a Buizel; your whole body changed."

"No, not at all," answered Daniel. "I didn't feel a thing. I was asleep...or unconscious...I dunno."

"So what happens when you get older?" asked Rick. "Do you have to fight to evolve like normal pokemon?"

"Mom told me that it comes with age in my case," replied Daniel. "I'm hoping I'll evolve around the same age as you guys when you go through your changes."

"Since you're a Buizel, shouldn't you think like a Buizel?" asked Emily. "I mean the transformation must have had some kind of impact on the way you think."

"I can't say for sure," answered Daniel, puzzled. "I'm sure glad I don't go 'bui, bui' all the time...but ever since the transformation, I've felt changes in the way I view people and pokemon. Ask Stephanie, she knows something about this kind of stuff."

"I guess it's all to do with how a pokemon's brain is wired up," began Stephanie, looking at Emily. "Some pokemon like being stroked, others don't. There's a big difference in the way Daniel reacts when I stroke him, and if I tried to stroke you. You'd be repulsed. Same thing with you carrying Daniel around in your arms. While Daniel seems like a sleeping baby in your arms, if you tried to carry Rick the same way, he'd pull some kind of karate move on you."

"So what happened to that 'do not disturb' attitude of yours if Daniel's been in your room the whole time I look for him?" asked Rick.

"Daniel's a pokemon, and he doesn't go nuts when you feed him chocolate," answered Stephanie, hinting Rick's reaction to chocolate.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Rick, slightly offended.

"You go nuts whenever you eat chocolate," replied Stephanie, staring directly at Rick's eyes. "Daniel doesn't. That's why I let him in my room."

Rick was surprised at what Stephanie had just said to him.

"Besides, I like having him with me; he's cute and cuddly," Stephanie continued, causing Daniel to blush a little.

"Well I see two pokemon out there," Emily spoke. "Are they your friends?"

"They are," Daniel replied. "Right on time."

Everyone approached the Riolu and the Pikachu they saw.

The Pikachu waved at Daniel and Daniel waved back. The Riolu was staring in a completely different direction until the Pikachu pulled his arm.

"Hey Daniel," said the Pikachu.

"Hey Simon, hi Zeke," began Daniel. "These are my cousins, Rick, Emily, and Stephanie. They've come for a visit to the forest. Hope none of you are tired."

Everyone shook their heads.

"Okay then, here's what we'll do," continued Daniel. "We're going into the forest to pay a visit to a good friend of mine. She's a Buizel that lives near a nearby stream with her family. You can kinda tell me and her apart if you look closely. I have two spots on my back, she only has one. Let's go."

"Does she know we're coming?" asked Stephanie as everyone started walking.

"She does," answered Daniel.

Everyone made their way into the forest, trying not to be seen by the Ditto. Everyone understood the risks of walking into the forest in the middle of the night. That time of night tended to be where the Ditto was most active. Daniel made his way past some trees, through a narrow passageway, around a pile of rocks, then down a small slope and finally to the stream, with the others soon following him.

"Well, we're here," said Daniel at last. "Now we've just got to find where they-"

"Daniel," spoke a voice. Everyone turned to face a Floatzel. He had a look of concern on his face. "Come with me, quick – you _and_ your friends."

The Floatzel walked quickly downstream, signaling everyone to follow.

"What's going on?" asked Stephanie.

"I'll tell you when we get there," answered the Floatzel. "It's serious, especially for you three." He was referring to the three cousins.

"Who is he?" asked Emily.

"His name is Nathaniel," began Daniel. "He's the dad of the family we're supposed to see."

When everyone made it to the Floatzel's home, they saw the rest of the family, watching out for something.

"What's happening now?" asked Rick.

"The Ditto is awake...and roaming through this area," replied the Floatzel. "We've got to hide you someplace before it turns _you_ into a pokemon."

"Where's the hiding place?" asked Stephanie.

"I'll show you a shortcut to the town you're from," said the Floatzel. "It's the quickest way to safety."

"All right, whenever you're ready," Daniel spoke.

The Floatzel poked his head out of the ground and looked around. He then signaled everyone to follow him. One by one, they climbed out and followed. They came to an area surrounded by trees on two sides. The town was close, but as soon as they began to move on, a Meowth appeared. It just stood there, watching everyone.

"Hey, why is that Meowth just sta-" said Simon before being interrupted by the Floatzel.

"That's no Meowth! That's the Ditto! Back away from it before-"

Suddenly, the Meowth emitted multi-colored energy waves from its body. The waves were too fast to run from, so they hit Rick in the chest. Rick began to lose consciousness. The Floatzel was horrified, Daniel had his face in his paws, Emily began to panic, Stephanie stood still, not knowing what to do, Zeke was looking in all directions for a possible escape route, while Simon was watching the Meowth closely to see what it would do next.

"Run everyone! I'll try to catch any more waves it throws! The waves don't affect pokemon!"

Zeke led the way back up the stream, with everyone else following. The Meowth, which was now an Espeon, was getting close. Zeke had just made it to the top when something glittered for a second in front of him. A portal opened immediately after and before Zeke had time to react, he tripped and fell inside.

"Oh, no no not now!" Daniel protested. He felt he had to go in the portal as well because Zeke had entered it accidentally, so he ran into it.

Meanwhile, the Espeon's new target was Stephanie. It ran faster than Stephanie could, especially since she was carrying Rick on her shoulder. Stephanie wanted to enter the portal to avoid being transformed into a pokemon. She had almost made it into the portal when the Espeon emitted more waves, catching Stephanie in the back.

Her only response before losing her consciousness was,

"Dang it! So close..."

She fell into the portal, bringing Rick with her. By now, Emily and Simon had already made it into the portal. The Floatzel felt he had to go because he did not want to imagine what lied beyond the portal, waiting for the poor children, so he entered the portal as well to protect them.

Everyone went through lots of emotions when they reached their destination. Some of them were shock, worry, frustration, and uncertainty. But now, Daniel and his friends had more than just the Ditto to worry about. Now, they had to cope in a different world, but Daniel knew the meaning behind the portal already. As badly-timed as it seemed, it was time for adventure. It was time for Daniel's brainpower to be put to the test once again. A mystery had to be solved. But as soon as they reached their destination, they had to find a place where Rick and Stephanie could go through their transformations in peace.


	3. Experience over Superstition

Chapter 2: Experience over Superstition

Daniel, his friends, and his cousins had more than just a rough night tonight; it was literally life-changing. Rick and Stephanie would become pokemon very soon, thanks to the Ditto. The visit to Nathaniel's house went horribly wrong. To make matters worse, everyone had been teleported to another world, worrying them about their families and how they were going to make it home. Daniel was used to this by now, but he still wondered how he was going to explain to his parents about what happened during the night, especially what happened to Rick and Stephanie. This was not the first time Daniel had been teleported to another world, but each time made his parents worry for his safety.

Everyone had been teleported to a forest with a road running through the middle. The first thing Daniel saw was snow, then a mountain range in the distance. There was an open area in front of him, lightly covered in snow and grass. The time of night seemed to be exactly the same as in the world of Pokemon. Zeke and Emily were confused, yet curious about the surrounding environment. The Floatzel sat by a nearby tree stump, muttering,

"It's not right...why did kids have to get dragged into this?" He began to look sad. Daniel heard what he said and approached him.

"I've been through things like this before," began Daniel. "I mean the portals."

"So how do you get home?" asked Nathaniel. The Floatzel raised his head. "How do _we_ get home?"

"There's something that all the portals I've taken have in common," replied Daniel. "We get teleported here, we complete a 'mission,' and then we go home."

"Sounds simple, right?" asked Nathaniel.

"Nope," said Daniel. "The missions themselves are simple, but actually carrying them out is another story.

"Oh...how are the missions complicated like you say?" asked Nathaniel.

"Try climbing to the top of that mountain," began Daniel. "Sounds simple, doesn't it? What are the chances we'll make it to the top without harsh weather, getting lost, avalanches, and getting stuck up there until the end of time?"

"I see your point," Nathaniel responded. "Sounds like you've been through a lot...and done a lot."

"We'll figure out what we have to do in time," said Daniel. "In the meantime, let's get those two to someplace where they can transform in peace."

Nathaniel picked himself up and walked over to where Stephanie was. It started to snow. Daniel looked in the distance and saw a rectangular metal object in the ground.

"I'm going to check that out," Daniel spoke. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," answered Nathaniel.

Closer inspection of the metal object revealed a double door on the ground, surrounded by a frame.

"That's weird," Daniel noted.

He pulled the door handle and opened the door. He found the entrance to an underground passage. There was light coming from a torch, so it was not dark. Daniel ran back to where everyone else was and announced,

"We might be able to drop Rick and Stephanie over there, it's a secret way underground. Funny enough, there's a torch in there."

"Let's hope that whoever lives in there is friendly," Emily responded.

Suddenly, there came a low-pitched, metallic ringing noise, which faded quickly. Everyone who was awake turned their heads towards the sound, which was coming from Rick.

"What was that?" asked Nathaniel.

"It's starting," answered Daniel. "The transformation." A tiny area on Rick's chest began to glow white. The glow brightened and dimmed over and over again. There was also a faint, fluctuating, metallic whirring noise coming from the white area. A few moments later, Stephanie's back began to do the same thing.

"Let's get them inside, quick," said Emily, picking Rick up by the arms and putting him over her shoulder.

Nathaniel picked Stephanie by the arms also, but he held her over his back, holding her arms so that she would not fall. Everyone walked over to the metal doors and went inside, with Zeke closing the door.

Inside was a hallway of stone, with an orange rug running down the middle. Tapestries were on the walls and the place was very tidy. Torches were burning, with metal guards to stop any stray ashes from causing a fire.

"There must be a bedroom around here somewhere," Zeke spoke.

There was a spiraling staircase in the room just ahead. Daniel thought the bedrooms were down there, so he walked into the room and went down the staircase. Everyone else soon followed. The first door on the right had a very comfortable-looking bed. Nathaniel and Emily went in the room and set the two affected cousins down on the bed.

Everyone watched in anticipation as the glowing areas on Rick and Stephanie's bodies began to spread. After fifteen minutes, the glowing had spread a few inches outward. Thirty minutes later, the glowing had spread to a large area of Rick's chest and Stephanie's back. After an hour, the glowing began to spread to their limbs. Soon after that, the glowing started to spread to Rick's face and the lower half of Stephanie's legs. Throughout the entire process, the noises became louder and more complex, but not unbearable.

"Now you guys can see exactly what we went through years ago," Daniel spoke.

"At least they won't have the big shock when they wake up as pokemon," added Simon.

It took roughly two more hours for the glowing to completely cover the cousins' bodies. Once that happened, The glowing began to intensify and the noises grew louder. Then Rick and Stephanie's bodies began to change shape. The actual transformation took no longer than five minutes. Some were able to guess the end result sooner than others, while Daniel already knew what Rick was going to become.

When the transformation was complete, the sounds and the glowing faded until they eventually disappeared.

"Well we know one thing," began Zeke. "What they saw was what they became."

"They're waking up," said Nathaniel when he saw Rick's eyes opening.

"Ugh...what kind of a weirdo dream was that?" asked Rick before he realized that he was in a different place. "Serious architectural problems...huh? What? Something's not right."

Stephanie began to open her eyes as well.

"Never thought I'd be inside my own art like that," she spoke, weakly. "Especially as an Espeon...that was weird."

"Rick, Stephanie," Daniel spoke. "You're done."

Rick looked down at his body. He had cream-colored fur except for half of his feet and tail which had brown fur. His tail was curved and curled at the tip. He noticed something peculiar on his head, shaped like a rounded rectangle. It seemed to be made of metal.

Stephanie looked at her body too. She had very soft fur with a color between pink and purple. Her body features resembled those of a cat. Her tail seemed to split in two at the end.

Rick's only response as he looked up with a grumpy look on his face was,

"Figures..."

Meanwhile, Stephanie was enjoying her new self. She rolled on both sides, giggling.

"Why _does_ that Ditto target kids, anyway?" asked Rick.

"Who knows?" answered Zeke.

"At least Stephanie seems to be enjoying herself," Simon commented. "By the way, I don't think we've all introduced ourselves, Nathaniel."

Everyone called out their names. Soon everyone began to have a conversation, while Stephanie continued to wriggle around on the bed. Even Rick began to enjoy his new self, stretching on the bed and liking the feel of his fur. The only one who felt a bit left out was Emily. She was glad that she had not been hit by the Ditto, but at the same time, she wondered how it would feel to be an Espeon. She was actually kind of jealous of Stephanie.

Everyone decided to relax for a bit before trying to figure out what they needed to do next. Then Daniel realized that the moon was full during the time Rick and Stephanie were hit and that the moon's rays would have an effect on the transformation. He decided not to tell them just yet, as they seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. Everyone finally decided that they would sleep here for the night and then press on.


	4. A Blast from the Past

Chapter 3: A Blast from the Past

Daniel and his friends had found the perfect place to rest. The only real concern left was food. However, everyone was too busy sleeping to think about food. As they slept through the night, something unexpected happened. It was not until early in the morning that the first signs of it showed. Daniel slowly opened his eyes after a dream about surviving a night in an abandoned castle ended. Daniel yawned, stretched his arms out, and then proceeded out of the room.

Then he heard footsteps coming from above. Whoever was making them seemed to have boots on. Daniel ran back into the bedroom, hoping not to be seen as everyone else was sleeping. Then he heard the footsteps grow louder. Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Hello? Daniel, is that you?"

'How in the world does she know my...wait...I know that voice,' Daniel thought, recognizing the voice.

"Lauren?" Daniel spoke. "Lauren Sterling, is that you?"

"Finally found you," the voice spoke. "How did you manage to end up here?"

"The same way I did last time," Daniel replied. "Only this time, I was chased into the portal."

The figure walked up the stairs as the conversation continued. It was a woman, dressed in a thin blue jacket. She had short, white hair and wore a patch over her left eye. Her other eye showed a deep blue color. She wore black boots and a pair of blue pants. She had a formal, no-nonsense, militaristic look about her. She looked to be in her mid twenties. Daniel thought she looked to be a cross between a ship captain and a police officer and that her voice seemed to match her appearance. She carried a folded up whip that was attached to her belt.

"I've got some questions I want to ask you," Lauren spoke. "You're not in trouble."

"Oh, good," replied Daniel. "Okay then, fire away."

"Are you the only one here?" began Lauren.

"No way," answered Daniel. "I've got six others with me: one girl, one Floatzel, and four that ended up like me."

"Four?" asked Lauren, raising her head in curiosity.

"Two of my cousins are here as well," replied Daniel. "They got hit by the Ditto too."

"That's a shame," Lauren commented. "Time has flown since we last met."

"Funny seeing you here of all places," Daniel responded.

"I could say the same myself," said Lauren. "You seem to have matured a bit since last time."

"You want to see the others?" asked Daniel.

"Seeing as that's what I came here for, yes," replied Lauren.

Daniel and Lauren walked into the bedroom where everyone was sleeping.

"Hey, everyone! Wake up!" Daniel called.

There was no response. Lauren pulled out the whistle she carried and blew. Everyone opened their eyes and looked to see what the matter was.

"Everyone, wake up. I've got someone here you should meet," said Daniel.

"The name's Lauren Sterling. I'm a paranormal investigator," Lauren announced, showing everyone her badge.

"Paranormal what?" asked Rick.

"I'm here to look into really weird stuff," Lauren clarified.

"Well it looks like you've hit the jackpot," added Rick.

"What's a jackpot?" asked Zeke.

"Only you would ask a question like that, Zeke," answered Simon.

"So who's the two new Pokémon?" asked Lauren.

Rick and Stephanie raised their paws.

"You poor kids," said Lauren, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Stuck like this for the rest of your lives."

"Well, in Rick and Stephanie's case, not for their whole lives," countered Daniel.

"Huh?" asked Rick. "What do you mean?"

"It lasts until you get hit by the sun's rays," Daniel explained. "Then you turn human again. When the moon's rays hit you again, you turn back, provided it's a full moon."

"So that makes me a were-Meowth?" asked Rick.

"In a way, yes," replied Daniel.

"Huh..." answered Rick. "I guess I get to play video games with you after all."

Rick smiled. Daniel smiled back.

"Look forward to your next battle with me," said Daniel, with a mischievous look on his face.

"All right, now that I've found you all, now what?" asked Lauren. "I can't seem to find a way back."

"Hope you've got your camera with you this time," Daniel spoke. "You're going to see a lot of stuff before we get home. Like Rick said, you've hit the jackpot."

"In that case, why don't we take a picture together?" asked Lauren, smiling faintly.

"It'll be the news of the century," said Emily, excited.

Lauren had a digital camera that could be timed to take pictures. She adjusted the settings and set the camera down on the chest of drawers.

"All right everyone, huddle up closer," Lauren spoke.

Everyone gathered around and on the bed. Lauren stood at the far right on the camera's view. Rick stood on the edge of the bed, next to Lauren. Daniel was sitting on Emily's lap, while Stephanie stood next to them. Zeke was behind everyone else, standing in the middle of the bed. Nathaniel was in front of Emily, sitting on the floor and Simon was on the far left of the bed.

Once the camera flashed, Lauren picked it up and showed everyone. They were happy with the picture. Lauren put the camera back in its case and asked,

"Daniel, you've been through quite a few of these portals, haven't you?"

"That's right," replied Daniel.

"You know how we can get back to our world?" Lauren asked.

"We have to do some kind of mission first," answered Daniel. "I've been through enough of these to know how the whole portal thing works."

"Daniel and I have been through a lot of missions," began Simon. "We're never told what we have to do or why we're here. We kinda figure it out as we go along."

"Do we have to fight?" asked Rick.

"No," answered Daniel. "And I'm telling you, avoid fighting if you can. But if you get seen by the wrong creature, then you might have to."

"Daniel and I try to avoid fights if we can," added Simon. "They aren't at all like trainer battles where if a Pokémon gets knocked out, it only faints."

"Nathaniel, we all know you've got Poképowers," began Daniel. "But they're not gonna save you if you're in a room full of five-foot, spinning blades. In fact, you might lose your head if you're not careful."

Nathaniel was feeling uncomfortable hearing this harsh reality. He didn't like the thought of his head being chopped off by spinning blades.

"And you've been through things like this? As kids? And yet you're not scared to death?" He asked.

"We're used to it by now," answered Zeke. "We do get scared and freaked out at times, but we deal with it. Besides, you tend to think more rationally when your life is at stake, with no way home other than the one set."

"And we're about to be put through the same thing, I take it?" asked Emily.

"Correct," replied Zeke. "I have a feeling what we've already been through is just the beginning."

"Well, why not get started then?" asked Stephanie. "If we've got a mission to do, might as well start now."

"That comes later," answered Lauren. "Right now, I'm hungry. This place looks deserted, but maybe for a day, max. Any food that's here probably hasn't spoiled yet."

"Lauren was the head chef in her high-school events, if I'm not mistaken," said Daniel, remembering something Lauren said to him a long time ago.

"That's right," Lauren responded. "Soup was my favorite thing to make. I still make it."

"Is it spicy?" asked Zeke.

"No," answered Lauren.

"Good," continued Zeke. "Spicy food makes everything else taste weird for me."

"He's allergic to peppers," added Simon. "I had dinner with him and Daniel one day at my house. The soup had peppers in it. A couple mouthfuls made him drool uncontrollably."

"We had a fun time cleaning that up, didn't we Zeke?" Daniel spoke.

"Not for me it wasn't," Zeke replied. "Lauren, does your soup have mushrooms in it?"

"A few recipes have them...are you allergic to those too?" asked Lauren.

"Never feed him mushrooms...never," Simon warned. "He can't tolerate them."

"They make him very sick too," Daniel added. "We had to take him to a Poké-center once 'cause it got so bad. Of course, we all had to explain to a very surprised nurse what happened to each of us and how we became Pokémon."

"You poor thing," Emily remarked, looking at Zeke. "I hope you're not allergic to everything in the world."

"Other than paint fumes, I'm only allergic to those two things...although I get nauseous from too much sugar," answered Zeke.

"What do paint fumes do?" asked Rick.

"Last time I saw him around paint fumes, he had hallucinations," Daniel replied. "He kept seeing a grandfather clock everywhere he went. I stood directly in front of him, yet he saw me as if I was in another direction."

"Whoa, that's weird," said Rick.

"So now what?" asked Emily. "We're trapped in another world until we do a mission with goals we don't even know yet. We're in an abandoned underground building we haven't even checked for safety yet. What should we do?"

"Let's explore this place before we do anything else," Daniel suggested. "People don't abandon places without a reason."

"Hey, I found something," Zeke announced. "Let's see what this does..."

Zeke found a small lever hidden between the nightstand and the bed. He pulled it and revealed a secret compartment to the nightstand. A small drawer opened near the bottom. He found a slim, book with a purple cover and a sun shape printed in the middle.

"Looks like some kind of diary," Zeke noted. "Let's see what the last entry says...oh."

Zeke's expression suddenly turned from curious to grim.

"What's wrong, Zeke?" asked Lauren.

"Read this, Daniel," answered Zeke, handing the diary to Daniel.

"Let's see what this says," said Daniel as he read the final entry.

The last page read,

"_That does it. I am packing my bags and leaving tomorrow. One by one, people keep disappearing. Even the leader, Jackov, is missing. My friend told me he heard strange noises last night. At first, the disappearances weren't very noticeable until Jackov's brother went missing. Now, there's only a tenth of the miners left._

_UPDATE: The last of the magicians helped some workers set up a ward that connects the living quarters and the mines. It seems that the source of our trouble is coming from inside the mines. We're preparing to evacuate the building today. This will be my last entry for this diary. I've left the answer for how to break the seal, should anyone be brave enough to try and solve the mystery. The answer is inside a secret room inside what looks to be a closet down in the basement. Once you break the seal, the door will open. Remove the answer from its place to reactivate the seal._

_If you read this and decide to face the mystery, I wish you and any companions the very best of luck. I have to go now. I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon. My prayers go out to those who went missing. My final words of advice are...stay invisible. The mystery should not know it is being solved. The truth is out there. Good luck."_

Daniel closed the book and stared at the back wall, saying,

"Everyone...we have our mission. Get ready for a time to remember."

Daniel and his friends have found their goal, to solve the mystery. What the mystery actually was was a mystery on its own. Everyone began to feel unsafe, although Daniel, Simon, and Zeke were used to that feeling. Daniel could only imagine what the answer was.


	5. Maintenance

Chapter 4: Maintenance

Daniel and his friends have discovered their purpose in this adventure, although the situation was starting to worry everyone. No one liked the thought of being in a place where people just vanish without a trace. What scared everyone the most was the fact that they were alone, at the mercy of unseen forces. However, everyone decided to forget about the possible dangers beyond the seal and enjoy themselves while they can.

Daniel handed the diary to Emily for safekeeping, saying,

"Emily, don't lose this. This might be important."

She took the book and decided to read some of the previous entries.

"What are we going to do when we break the seal?" asked Stephanie.

"I don't know, but let's talk about that later," replied Lauren. "I'm hungry...who wants some soup?"

Everyone agreed, but Daniel was the first to realize something.

"Wait...where's the kitchen?" he asked.

"It's around here somewhere," answered Lauren.

"Don't tell me it's behind the seal..." Simon spoke, afraid of the possible outcome.

"Maybe they built the kitchen nearby for the sake of convenience," Stephanie suggested.

"I hope for our sake it's not behind the seal," said Simon.

"There's only one way to find out," Zeke replied. "I think we should split up and look around. I'll try to find the seal-"

"Zeke, no, if we split up now we'll all risk disappearing." Emily interrupted. "I still don't know whether that statement in the diary about the seal is true or a bunch of baloney."

"Then let's go find out," answered Zeke, wanting to get on with it.

Zeke left the room and everyone else followed. Everyone walked down the hallway to the left until they came to a three-way intersection. Zeke chose the hallway to the right. Then they came to a door on the wall on the right. Zeke pushed down on the handle and opened the door. Inside was the kitchen that everyone was looking for.

"Oh, good," Lauren spoke, smiling. "Now I just need to find-"

Suddenly, all the electric lights began to dim and then turn off.

"Uh oh," said Rick, wondering what just happened.

"I think it's just a power failure," replied Daniel. "Something kept these lit before they went out."

"In my house, the breaker box is in the basement," Simon spoke. "Maybe we should check out the lower floors of this place."

"Good idea," Daniel responded.

"I'll go find the breaker box or whatever was used here," said Emily.

"I'm coming with you," answered Nathaniel. "Basements can be very scary. And with what's been happening in this place, I don't want you to get abducted by who knows what."

"Sure...I'm a bit nervous of the dark anyway," replied Emily.

"I'm gonna go look for the seal," Zeke spoke.

"Not by yourself, you're not," countered Stephanie.

"I'm going with you too," Rick responded.

"Simon and I will stay here with Lauren," said Daniel. "How long will you be?"

"Not long, hopefully," answered Emily.

Those who were leaving began to walk away. Lauren took her matchbox out and lit a match. She then found a few candles scattered throughout the kitchen and lit all four of them. She took the time to study the kitchen. It was very interesting and seemed like a cross between a modern kitchen and one from centuries past. It seemed to have an oven, but no microwave. The sinks were clean and the faucets were functional. There were a few tables at the back of the room. Lauren immediately began to look for ingredients, once she finished studying the kitchen.

"Hope your camera's got a lot of power left," Daniel spoke. "You are going to see a lot of stuff before this is over."

Everyone who left was walking down the left path of the three-way intersection. Nathaniel was opening door after door while walking down the hallway, saying,

"For an underground home, these bedrooms are really nice."

"Well, just be careful where you sleep at night...we _are_ underground," Zeke warned.

"I wonder what kind of mine this is," Stephanie spoke.

"Better _not_ be a coal mine," Rick answered, cringing, "All that dust."

"Wait," Zeke began, thinking for a moment, worried.

"What is it?" asked Emily.

"That door Daniel opened at the top...he might have cut off our air supply."

"Zeke, if that was the case then the miners would have dug another air supply," Stephanie countered.

"What if the air supply caved in and nobody knew?" asked Zeke.

"Zeke, stop worrying," answered Rick. "The miners would have noticed that too. Air runs out pretty quick when there's no more. We spent the night here and we're still breathing."

Zeke said nothing as he walked on, still looking a bit worried. At this point, everyone had reached the end of the hallway and turned left. Almost immediately, Nathaniel noticed a sign on the first door on the right. It was red and circular, with a picture of a shadowy man getting struck by lightning.

"This must be where the breaker box is," said Nathaniel.

Emily tried to turn the knob but the door wouldn't open.

"It's locked...that's all we need." she complained.

"If these torches go out, we're stuck," Rick spoke.

"Let's use them while we can," Stephanie responded.

Meanwhile Zeke was ignoring this conversation. He was staring at a white object at the far end of the hallway, on the right side of the wall.

"What's that over there?" he asked.

"That is...I dunno, what could it be?" asked Emily.

"I'm going to take a look," Zeke replied. "Nathaniel, can you come with me?"

Zeke walked down the hallway, with Nathaniel behind him. When they reached the end of the hallway, they both knew what it may be.

"It's a puzzle of some kind," Nathaniel spoke. "That might be the seal."

"There's a lever here too," added Zeke, looking to the wall to the left of the seal.

Zeke began to reach for the lever.

"Zeke, what do you think you're doing? Don't pull that!" Nathaniel shouted, afraid of the consequences.

Zeke stopped what he was doing, saying,

"The seal won't open," answered Zeke, wondering why Nathaniel was worked up. "It's missing something, so calm down."

"Even so, don't touch that lever," said Nathaniel. "Or I might have to Water Gun you."

That statement made something trigger in Zeke's mind. Zeke stared at him for a moment, not moving a muscle. Then he slowly raised his arms as if he was expecting Nathaniel to attack him.

'Oh, no. What have I done?' Nathaniel thought. Now Nathaniel had a worried look on his face. "Hey Zeke, I didn't mean that seriously. I just don't want anyone to-"

Then suddenly, Zeke pushed past him and ran down the hallway opposite where everyone had been through, without saying a word.

"Hey, come back here!" Nathaniel shouted.

Everyone else heard the commotion and came to see what it was all about.

"What's going on here?" Emily demanded.

"Zeke was about to pull the lever, so I had to stop him. Then he-"

"What did you do to him?" asked Rick, giving Nathaniel a serious look.

"Nothing!" answered Nathaniel, raising his voice, with a frustrated yet confused look on his face. "I was kidding when I warned him that I'd Water Gun him if he pulled that lever! I never expected this!"

"I'm gonna look for Zeke," Emily spoke, running down the hallway.

"Nathaniel, you don't know Zeke, so I'll let this one slide," began Stephanie. Zeke has a condition that affects the way his brain's wired up. _Never_ joke around with Zeke like that; he can't really tell if you're serious or not. He's only seven for Pete's sake!"

"Well help me find him then and stop berating me!" replied Nathaniel. "I didn't do this on purpose."

As they were running down the hallway, Stephanie responded with,

"I know you wouldn't do that on purpose, but you have to be careful who you joke around with. Zeke's not like the rest of us. At least we can tell a joke from a promise."

Zeke had just run off, believing Nathaniel to be a danger to him. Nathaniel felt guilty after learning about Zeke's problem with jokes. The seal, the power, and how to move forward in the mission was at the back of everyone's minds right now, as they were now trying to stop Zeke from putting himself at risk in this place, where strange things could be lurking. No one was certain as to why Zeke ran off. Some think that it's due to Zeke's disorder, while others think that it could also be a human/Riolu conflict within his mind.


	6. Falling Apart

Chapter 5: Falling Apart

Zeke had yet to be found. Everyone was worried that he might have disappeared already. Nathaniel was following everyone, trying to find out where Zeke went to.

Nathaniel followed Emily, who was running up the stairs to the surface, right at the entrance.

"He's escaped!" shouted Emily. "Nathaniel, you're a faster runner than I am, help me catch Zeke before we lose him!"

Emily and Nathaniel ran up the stairs and looked around.

"There he is!" Emily barked.

Emily ran as fast as she could, but Nathaniel was faster. Catching up to Zeke wasn't too hard. Zeke, however, thought he could try and throw a magic spell at Nathaniel to slow him down. He focused hard and managed to throw a spinning disk of green sparks at him. Nathaniel was completely taken by surprise, but he jumped to the side and managed to avoid the spell. Unfortunately, Emily took the blow instead and suffered a jolt and a burn to the neck.

"Hey!" she shouted, angrily, continuing to chase Zeke.

"No offense, but I think your friend has lost his mind," said Daniel.

Neither Emily nor Nathaniel noticed, but Zeke was beginning to turn transparent, as if fading away. Then both of them looked at Zeke.

"Look!" Emily shouted.

Zeke eventually vanished, the same happening to Nathaniel and Emily. For a moment, they couldn't see anything. Then they wished they hadn't seen what they saw next. They ended up in a dark room, with no lights other than patches of an eerie dark blue glow.

Emily could just barely see Zeke in front of her. She grabbed him by the neck and restrained him.

"If you wanna stay alive, you better keep your mouth shut...or I'll nail it shut," she threatened, trying to keep her voice down.

Zeke began to struggle, trying to break free of her, but he couldn't.

"How could you say something like that to Zeke?" asked Nathaniel.

"Shut your mouth," she snapped. "This all happened because you had to make a stupid joke."

"I think a Water Gun ought to shut you up," Nathaniel threatened.

"Don't make me come over there and pop that flotation sac of yours," Emily countered, tightening her fist and squinting her eyes, looking as if she was about to blow up.

She didn't realize how much pressure she was putting on Zeke's neck. Zeke had stopped struggling and was now unconscious, unable to breathe. Emily looked down at him and went pale.

"Oh..." she said.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Simon were in the kitchen with Lauren. Simon was getting impatient.

"What's taking so long?" he asked.

"I don't know," answered Daniel. "Must be a large building."

"DANIEL!" someone called. "LAUREN!"

"WHAT!" Daniel replied.

"Zeke, Nathaniel, and Emily are gone!"

Stephanie came into the kitchen.

"Already!" said Lauren.

"They just vanished into thin air! They went ghost and then they're gone!" Stephanie explained.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Simon.

"I don't think so," Stephanie responded. "There's no telling where they went."

"Guys, there's something wrong with Zeke," Rick spoke, entering the kitchen. "He just ran away all of a sudden, after a conversation with Nathaniel."

"That's because of his disorder," Stephanie replied. "Nathaniel didn't want Zeke to pull a certain lever, so he threated to Water Gun Zeke if he did. Nathaniel didn't mean it, but Zeke took it the wrong way and ran off. Now both of them have vanished, as well as Emily."

"There's nothing we can do?" said Daniel. "This is a problem."

"What shocked me the most was that Zeke actually attacked the other two. He flung a magic spell at Nathaniel, but it hit Emily instead," Stephanie explained.

"Oh, jeez, I hope they're ok!" Simon spoke, shocked at this new information.

"Zeke's a pretty good leader," Daniel began, thinking. "I think he can take care of himself and the other two. But what really worries me is how they'll all get along after this whole incident. Zeke could kill Emily, Nathaniel could kill Zeke, and Emily could kill Nathaniel."

"But where does that leave us?" asked Rick.

"I'll bet we'll have to open the seal at some point," answered Daniel. "I've got this gut feeling that they've ended up in there. In the meantime, let's not panic. We'll find them eventually. For now, let's try to find the power switch."

"Stephanie and I found that already," said Rick. "Let's go find that key, Stephanie."

"Hold on a minute," Simon interjected. "I'm coming with you. I know a bit about power and electrics."

Rick, Stephanie, and Simon left the kitchen and made their way to the door to the power station.

"The door is locked, so we'll have to find a key," Rick explained to Simon.

"Let's look in this room," Simon suggested, pointing to a door named "Supply."

Stephanie walked over to the door and opened it. Inside the room was indeed full of supplies, including a set of keys, hanging from the wall. One of them was labeled "power station," so Stephanie chose that one, and walked back to the door to the power station. She inserted the key and opened the door. Fortunately, a torch was burning to light the room.

"All right...here's the breaker box," Simon began. Stephanie opened the cover and inside was a bunch of switches and wires.

"Ah, see? The fuse has blown," said Simon, turning the power switch off.

There was a cupboard which contained small parts, some of which were fuses. Stephanie took one and handed it to Simon. Simon took the faulty fuse out and put the new one in. He then turned the power switch on. Suddenly, the whole building lit up.

"There we go, good as new," Simon remarked.

"Wonderful," Stephanie responded. "But now what do we do?"

"I think we need hear what Daniel has to say, but first, let's see what Lauren can cook, now that the power's back on," answered Simon.

Everyone made their way back to the kitchen. Lauren was already chopping vegetables and boiling water on the stove.

"It hasn't been a day yet and already, we're thrust into disaster," Rick spoke.

"I just hope Zeke and the others are okay," Stephanie replied.

"I think they will be," Daniel began. "If Zeke can handle what he's been through in the past, then I'm pretty sure he'll be okay with the others. I just hope they all get along. Hey Lauren, when we're finished eating, I think we should start finding a way to break the seal."

Zeke, Nathaniel, and Emily were now separated from the others, teleported to a strange and unfriendly place. Will they survive? Nobody knows. But with Zeke unconscious and the other two only just realizing what caused it, things didn't look promising. Meanwhile, Daniel and his group couldn't believe what had just happened, but they would do everything in their power to find Zeke and the others.


	7. Dangerous Surroundings

Chapter 6: Dangerous Surroundings

Zeke and the others were in an unfriendly environment. The only things they could see were black and blue, mostly black. The were inside what looked to be an underground cave system. The room they were in was quite small, with a metal door in the middle of the wall in front of them. Both Emily and Nathaniel were nervous. By this time, they had finished their argument and apologized to each other. But now they had a bigger problem, Zeke.

"What are we going to do with Zeke?" asked Emily.

"I don't know," answered Nathaniel. "Zeke's unconscious and we have no idea where we are or what we're up against. If you find something that you can use as a weapon, grab it, just in case."

"There are no weapons around here," said Emily, after looking around for a bit.

"Then you'll have to use your fists if it comes to that," suggested Nathaniel. "We're in deep trouble now."

The Floatzel listened at the door for any sounds. He heard nothing. He then looked through the keyhole and saw a room with more darkness and blue patches of dim lighting.

"I think the coast is clear...but be careful," he spoke. "Something might be hiding in there."

Emily opened the door, carrying Zeke on her shoulders. It was quiet, the only sounds that could be heard were a few drips. Emily decided to lay Zeke down on the floor, against the wall.

"We can't do much until Zeke wakes up," said Emily.

"I just hope nothing's waiting for us," replied Nathaniel.

Then suddenly, they heard a flapping noise. It sounded like it was coming from a single winged creature.

Emily and Nathaniel froze and listened for it again. The first sound seemed to come from the room just opposite the one they came out of. Then all too suddenly, it appeared. A giant, unfriendly-looking bat that was bigger than anyone had ever seen came into the room, flapping its wings to keep itself in the air. It was staring directly at Emily with its red eyes. The fangs were starting to scare her.

"Oh great," she mumbled. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's bats."

"Look at the size of it..." said Nathaniel.

'Oh Zeke, please wake up...' Emily thought.

The bat just stood there in mid air, almost as if waiting for something. Then it squeaked, and in just a few seconds, a few more bats came into the room.

"That's not good..." said Emily.

Zeke began to turn in his sleep, almost as if he was trying to do something that required a lot of effort. Emily could see the look on his face.

"I think Zeke's starting to wake up," Emily spoke.

The bats suddenly split into two groups of two and charged at everyone. Zeke suddenly raised his paw, quickly gathering energy with a ringing sound. Then he shot a jet of indigo-colored fire at the group on the left. He then quickly moved his flaming jet to the other group and incinerated the bats. Emily and Nathaniel were lost for words at what Zeke had just done. Zeke began to open his eyes.

"Zeke, I've seen some nice moves before...but yours are beyond belief," Nathaniel complimented.

Zeke said nothing, still unsure about Nathaniel. The look on his face was a testament to that.

"Zeke, stop it," Emily scolded. "He was only kidding about the whole Water Gun thing. He wouldn't do such a thing to you."

"...sorry," said Zeke.

"You better be after what you did to my neck," replied Emily, showing the burn and red vein-like marks on her neck.

"You didn't have to come after me, you know," Zeke countered.

"Zeke, if we didn't, you'd be all alone in this place. Even if you do have your special moves, what would do by yourself?" asked Nathaniel.

"I'd find a way out," answered Zeke. "Unlike some people, I can take care of myself."

"Zeke, why are you being so difficult?" asked Emily, beginning to lose her patience.

"Because-"

"Get up," ordered Emily, who had finally had enough. "We're in a creepy old cavern, we just got attacked by giant bats, and Daniel and the others are nowhere in sight. You're not going to just sit here and do nothing."

Zeke got up.

"You know, I could just leave you two here and I'd find a way out on my own," he said.

"Zeke, you wouldn't dre-"

"Emily, leave it," said Nathaniel. "You're only going to provoke him. We've had enough arguing for one day. Zeke, lead the way."

Zeke began to walk around the room, his mind still a bit hazy after waking up.

"Where are we, anyway?" asked Zeke.

"I don't know," answered Nathaniel. "Though I do think we've ended up the same way those miners did."

"Any one of these tunnels could lead to more trouble," said Zeke. "I guess we'll just have to pick one at random. How about west?"

"Sounds good to me," replied Nathaniel.

Zeke and the others began to walk down the tunnel, leading to a long passageway. As they walked down it, Nathaniel began a conversation.

"Zeke, I've never seen moves like yours before," he started. "They're really nice. But there's one thing I don't get."

"And what's that?" asked Zeke.

"I thought Riolu were weak against fire," Nathaniel noted. "How were you able to shoot fire like that?"

"Magic," answered Zeke. "I've been practicing for a couple of years."

Nathaniel gave Zeke a look of astonishment.

"You're seven years old and you can cast spells already..." said Emily.

"Sorry about the burn I gave you," Zeke apologized.

"Forget about it," Emily responded. "Just shows how powerful you can be when you try."

By this time, everyone was now at a small, circular room with a passage leading forward. The passage seemed to grow wider and darker as they walked further into it. Then all was dark, except for a faint blue light further down. It was quiet. The only sounds were breathing noises coming from everyone. Then suddenly, something rushed past the blue light and made a noise like something swinging in the air. Nobody saw what it was, only that it was very close to them. However, as quickly as it came, it also vanished at an unbelievable speed.

Emily and Nathaniel were frightened. Nathaniel was only a wild pokémon, and so wasn't used to strange and disturbing things like this. Zeke, having the quirky sense of danger he had, showed not fear, but curiosity. The tunnel was very long and as they continued to walk down it, they came to another room, which was completely dark. No one could see a thing, not even a blue glow. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

Then something flashed in front of everyone's faces. It caught them off guard as it flew right towards Nathaniel, and then back again like on a bungee cord, making that rushing sound again. This time, it was clearly visible, making its own light. It was a mouse-like creature with cream-colored fur. Its eyes were completely black with the light reflecting from them. Its two front teeth were long and pointed like needles, mouth wide open, and a hostile look on its face. It looked like it was making a grab for Nathaniel, who was in front, a hand reaching for him. Nathaniel never had a bigger shock in his life. Emily was taken by surprise as well. Zeke was in the back, so he couldn't see what was going on.

Nathaniel's breath was trembling. To him, this whole cave system was a living nightmare, and a dangerous one at that.

"Whww...what the heck was that thing?" he asked, shaken.

"I haven't the faintest idea. I-iit looked like some kind of mouse," answered Emily.

"I didn't even get to see it," Zeke added. "What is going on over there?"

"Trust me Zeke, you don't wanna know," answered Nathaniel.

Then the rushing noise came again. The creature had attacked, but no one saw anything.

"Zeke, what should we do?" asked Emily.

No response.

"Great, that thing's got Zeke!" Emily wailed.

"I think we need to get out of here befo-"

Nathaniel didn't have the chance to finish what he was saying before he too was taken. Emily began to run in the opposite direction, only to end up like her two friends. Where they would end up was a mystery. Now, they had to look out for themselves. They were all in very serious danger, and it would take a lot to get out of it. Meanwhile, back at the mine, Daniel was preparing to break the seal.


	8. Alone and Lost

Chapter 7: Alone and Lost

Zeke and his two friends had just been abducted by a strange, mouse-like creature. No one knew where they were or what they were up against. Without a leader, Emily and Nathaniel would have to find a way around by themselves, and in a dangerous place like this, it wasn't going to be easy.

Nathaniel ended up in a tunnel that looked much like the one he was just in, only a bit brighter. He was still in shock over what had just happened, but he was glad to be alive and unhurt.

'Does Daniel put up with this all the time?' he wondered.

He got up off the ground and started walking around. He walked down a narrow passage until he came to a room slightly larger than the one he was in before. When he looked to his left, he found something disturbing. A rather tall man with long white hair sat against the wall, looking down.

'Looks like someone who didn't quite make it...' he thought.

His face showed uneasiness, as if expecting something to happen. He turned around to look through the tunnel that was to his right. When he looked at the man again, his heart almost skipped a beat. The man was staring directly at him, not saying a word. He was a very strange man. His hair was white, his eyebrows were white, even his goatee was white. He looked to be in his twenties. The most prominent feature was his eyes. His pupils were blood red and his irises were pink. Nathaniel had never seen an albino before.

He was about to launch a ball of concentrated water at him out of fear, when the man shielded his face and said,

"Whoa, hold it! What'd I do to you?"

Nathaniel was relieved to hear that statement.

"You're alive!" answered Nathaniel.

"And why wouldn't I be alive?" asked the man.

"A lot of reasons," began Nathaniel. "Starting with that mouse that keeps attacking us."

"You mean Neskatune?" asked the man.

"You know it?" asked Nathaniel.

"Yeah," replied the man. "He only attacked because he doesn't know you and sees you as a threat. I myself have never seen a creature like you before."

"Well you see, I'm from another world," Nathaniel explained. "My name is Nathaniel. I ended up here with two others. Their names are Zeke and Emily. What's yours?"

"Glenn," answered the man.

Glenn snapped his fingers. The mouse-like creature began to appear. Suddenly, he didn't look as menacing as he was originally. His eyes weren't all black. In fact, the whites of his eyes were visible. Neskatune had brown eyes and was about half as tall as Glenn.

"Neska, this is Daniel," said Glenn.

"I heard your conversation," Neska spoke. "Sorry about that...I didn't know what to do."

"Neska, where are Zeke and Emily?" asked Nathaniel.

"I don't know," answered Neska. "Once they're taken, I have no idea where they end up. Besides, I didn't bring you three here. That was someone else's work."

"Great..." said Nathaniel, sitting on the ground, looking down. He couldn't believe the mess he was in.

"I'm so sorry...I thought you three were going to attack us...I had to do something," Neska apologized.

"If Zeke and Emily die in wherever they are, you're gonna be sorry alright," Nathaniel threatened.

Meanwhile Zeke was in a large, square room made of stone.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. Sometimes he talked to himself when he was alone.

He got up and looked around the room. There was a ramp leading down to a pit in the center of the room. There was a platform right above him, with two ramps on opposite ends leading to it. He could see a huge gate to his right. He walked over to the gate and saw a staircase leading up on his left. There was a lever conveniently placed next to the gate. Zeke tried to pull it, but it wouldn't move. He then noticed a keyhole in the lever itself, on the end.

Zeke looked all over the room for the key. He found it underneath a loose brick. It was rather strangely-shaped, having a plus sign shape at the handle. He then walked over to the lever and inserted the key. A clicking noise could be heard. He then pulled the lever and the gate began to rise. It only raised a few feet before grinding to a halt. The gate was old and rusty.

"Huh...the gate's stuck," he said. "But I can still go under it."

He crawled through the three-foot opening and stood up on the other side. It was quiet in this strange place; the only sounds he could hear were his own footsteps. Zeke came to a fork in the hallway and decided to go left. He walked down a long corridor and came to what looked like a king's library. It was impressive, despite its age. But there were cobwebs everywhere, dust had accumulated to unsightly levels, and the room was only dimly lit by a few torches.

"Wait a minute," Zeke spoke. "These torches are lit. Someone must live here."

The torches burned a bluish green. Zeke could tell they were magical. He looked around the room and looked at the titles of some of the books. There were quite a number of books about ghosts, spirits, and paranormal activity.

"I don't like the looks of this..." he murmured.

The castle so far had no sign of life. Zeke felt as if he was the only one in here. But based on what he saw among the titles of the books, he began to have a gut feeling that he wasn't alone. He looked around the library and found a rather interesting book on spell casting. He decided to take the time to read through it, seeing as no one else was here. As he was reading the pages, he thought about taking the book with him to show it to the others, provided he ever saw them again. He might be a Riolu, but he had no moves to use, so he thought that magic was a nice substitute.

Meanwhile, back in a familiar place, Emily picked herself up from he ground. She was back at the entrance where everyone had been taken to the first time. She looked around and noticed the door was open.

"Oh no, not here again," she complained.

She noticed the four bats on the ground, a reminder of Zeke's importance to everyone's safety.

She was nervous about being alone in such a dangerous place. She stepped as quietly as she could to avoid drawing attention to herself. The only thing she could hear were numerous dripping noises all around the cave. She decided to explore the tunnel on the right, not wanting to go in the bats' direction just yet. The tunnel led to a room that was somewhat lit by a glowing blue bottle. She went to take a closer look at it and found a note in front of it. She used the light from the bottle to read the note, which read:

"_Emily, if you're reading this, your life is in great danger. Don't be surprised to find that there are numerous ways to die in this cave system. Drink the potion and follow the tunnel in the center. If you want to find your friends again, you're going to need some help. These are sinister forces we're dealing with. Due to the nature of this problem, I can't reveal myself yet. Just follow my notes and you'll be all right. Do not deviate._

_Sincerely,_

_An ally._

_P.S. Zeke is in Castle Vernenn, while Nathaniel is in a nearby tunnel. Daniel and the others are in the same place you remember."_

Emily wasn't completely sure whether to follow the letter's advice or not. On the other hand, she was surprised that the author knew everyone. She thought about it for a moment and decided to play along. She picked the potion up, which was shaped like an orb at the bottom with a thin handle at the top. It was cold to the touch. As she was drinking the bottle, her body lit up a bit, sparkling blue. She also noticed that her neck began to feel better. The burn from Zeke's strange attack was healing. On top of that, the watery liquid tasted very nice. She gave a relieved sigh.

"This is better than apple soda," she spoke to herself. "I wish they had drinks like this where I live."

Emily was now involved with a mysterious, anonymous author. Nathaniel was the only one to know the meaning behind Neskatune. And Zeke was in a castle, all by himself, reading a book about magic and spellcasting. With each of them with their own situations, how would they ever meet each other again? Daniel's group on the other hand had no idea where they were or what was taking place.


End file.
